Hi Everybody and thanks for the welcome
My audio journey is a long story. I doubt this would come as a surprise to any of you, as you would all have your stories to tell, but I just wanted to share with you a few things that have dawned on me.
1. I need great sounding equipment. I have no choice about this. It is just the way I am built.
2. I cannot afford expensive equipment.
3. The only way to get decent sounding gear for a reasonable price is to learn more about the technical side of things and perhaps build the stuff yourself.
4. There is no such thing as perfection and you really only get what you pay for.
I just want to build up a system that is satisfying and does not bankrupt me. When I learned about AKSA gear, I saw it as an opportunity to finally get some decent gear at a reasonable price. It was also an opportunity to get into diy. Yep, never made anything electronic before.
Being generally sceptical, like most of you I guess, I contacted Hugh and asked to listen to the gear before I made a purchase. Hugh gave me his 100n+ to audition in my own home. As I live in Melbourne, I thought I would be mad not to ask. Besides, I am not usually the type to make a leap of faith.
Anyway, after hearing the gear, I wanted it. I just had to figure out whether or not I could make the gear and get it working. To cut a long story short, I just followed the instructions and asked Hugh a few questions.
Once I built up one channel on a piece of chipboard flooring, I asked Hugh to throw the switch. I stood back and watched Hugh wind up the voltage, pretty sure in the knowledge that something was going to explode (thanks Hugh for putting yourself in the line of fire). However, there was just silence. Hugh turned a few screws and now it makes music.
That is where I am at right now. I am building my own cases before I put everything else together. Sorry to say this, but I work slowly, so I will not be able to comment on my gear for a while.
However, I will comment on the AKSA gear I have heard. It may not be the best gear in the world, but it is so close to the best I have heard that it is just not funny. Made me wonder why people spend many thousands of beer vouchers on a single piece of equipment.
AKSA gear has a special quality that I have struggled to find. It is not easy to describe. All I can say is that I could listen to the amps for hours at a time without getting bored with the sound. You are drawn into the music and if the music is right, your foot will start tapping. Whenever I had a conversation while the amps were playing in the background, I found myself turning to listen to the music. IMHO, you just do not find that experience everyday. The amps made me smile.
I think getting into diy is one of the best things I have ever done. After realising there is no such thing as perfection, I think that diy is a very realistic approach to getting the most out of audio.
Also, let me be one of those people who say nice things about Hugh. He is a gifted intellectual who just happens to have an interest in audio. He is a gentleman and someone I trust. Funny how things work out. I do not think I would have entered into the world of diy if not for Hugh and his endeavours in this area. Thanks Hugh.
Finally, I can say without a doubt that I will be buying more stuff from Hugh. I just have to finish what I am doing now. I will let you know what I am up to. Just remember that I work on these things slowly.
Cheers
